


A Sick & Twisted Love Story

by YouveGotAFiendInMe



Series: Love for Beginners [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Cute, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sympathetic Dark Sides (Sanders Sides)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:07:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21712717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YouveGotAFiendInMe/pseuds/YouveGotAFiendInMe
Summary: When Remus goes behind Deceit’s back to scare Thomas and the others, Deceit becomes angry, only for Remus to realize that Deceit’s anger and concern aren’t entirely unfounded.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Deceit Sanders, Dr. Emile Picani/Sleep | Remy Sanders, Logic | Logan Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders
Series: Love for Beginners [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1564969
Comments: 30
Kudos: 144





	1. Chapter 1

“You did _what_?!” An all too familiar voice hissed, and Remus turned his face away, pouting slightly at the venomous tone used on him that was usually reserved for the light sides.

“It was just a visit.” He huffed in annoyance, “No need to get your panties in a wad.”

“Remus, that’s _exactly_ what I wanted!” Deceit groaned in annoyance as he dragged his gloved hands down his face, taking a slow, deliberate breath to calm himself, “What happened?”

Remus waved a hand, clothes changing from the extravagant garb he had worn while visiting the light sides into a more comfortable oversized sweater and shorts, and he huffed as he sat on the couch that occupied the dark mindspace, “I introduced myself to Thomas and the others. You’re the one who said I needed to make my presence known to get Thomas to stop being such a baby about you being around.”

“I meant with my direction.” Deceit gave in with a resigned sound of acceptance, practically collapsing in a heap on the couch next to Remus, “This is _perfect_ , now the light sides will realize we’re consorting.”

Remus didn’t look at Deceit, he simply moved so his head rested on Deceit’s shoulder, though he remained stiff, still pouting, “It’s not like it’s that far of a leap, Dee.”

“I told you to wait, Remus. Thomas could go into shock at this rate, and if something happens to him, we all go down, including you and I.”

Remus felt tears burning in his eyes, and he sniffled quietly, “It’s bad enough that Roman hates me, but now that he and Virgil are chummy, they both ridicule me.”

Deceit’s hand drifted to Remus’s hair, and he ran his fingers through the brown curls, gently twisting the streak of white hair around his finger as he sat in silence, seemingly pondering something, “I know the feeling.”

Remus glanced up at Deceit, sighing softly as he saw Deceit already watching him, “I was guilty of that, too, I suppose.”

Deceit quirked a brow, the corner of his mouth turning up in a faint smile, “Oh, of course, I _don’t_ remember, and Roman totally _doesn’t_ still cling to that ridiculous villain he made with me in mind.”

“To be fair, the dragon witch was both of our ideas.” Remus chuckled, “Back before we split and things.”

Deceit hummed in agreement, “Do tell me, how is the imagination these days? I’d _hate_ to know.”

“Things are fine, I mean, I beheaded a giant last week and dropped the head on a village.” Remus giggled, gleeful as he recalled the memory, “Oh, and I found a really nice place to sing!”

“Oh, I _despise_ your singing.” Deceit said lovingly, and Remus relaxed into his embrace, relieved that any anger from before had dissipated

“I should take you someday, we can have a picnic!” Remus exclaimed in excitement, “It’ll be so nice!”

“That sounds _dreadful_ , Remus.” Deceit agreed, “I’m free tomorrow if you are.”

Remus shut his eyes as he yawned, then wrapped an arm around Deceit’s middle, “You have to stay and cuddle with me, it’s law.”

“It is _not_!” Deceit snickered, and Remus couldn’t help but grin at knowing he’d gotten Deceit relaxed enough that his compulsive lying had calmed.

“It is cause I said so, now cuddle with me, beeyotch.”

“Maybe one of our rooms would be better than here. The couch isn’t particularly comfortable for sleeping on.” Deceit mused, “My room or yours?”

“Yours; I broke my dresser and my desk again when I got an idea.”

Deceit shut his eyes, and a moment later, he and Remus sank into the warmth of his bed, now in Deceit’s room and not the living room. Deceit promptly tugged a blanket over himself and Remus, his usual dapper attire gone, replaced with an old long-sleeved shirt and sweatpants. Remus eagerly grabbed Deceit’s hand, lightly rubbing his fingertips over his scaled knuckles, relishing in how the yellow scales appeared golden in the dim light of the room, and Remus figured that the scales looked almost like golden armor.

“What are you thinking?” Deceit asked softly as he watched Remus examine his hand.

“Your scales are so pretty.” Remus breathed, gently sliding Deceit’s sleeve up so he could see more of them, noting that they seemed more prominent in bony areas like the knuckles or the wrist, “They’re shiny.”

Deceit gently tugged his arm free of Remus’s grasp, rolling his sleeve down, “I rather meant what you were thinking in the way of any creative ideas.”

“... Naked bongo lessons?”

“... Classy as ever, Remus.”

“I have my moments.” He admitted, then grabbed Deceit’s hand again to further examine it, “Why don’t you wear gold jewelry? It would really flatter your scales, you know.”

“Because I don’t like calling attention to them.” Deceit replied pointedly, “They’re not exactly appealing to look at.”

“I always knew you’re a liar, but I didn’t know you also needed your vision checked.” Remus grumbled, then looked up as Deceit tried to pull his hand free, flushed pink on the right side of his face as he avoided looking at Remus, and Remus realized he wasn’t just being funny or joking; that was how he truly felt.

“Dee, you can’t be serious.” Remus said softly, tightening his grip as Deceit again tried to pull his hand away, “That’s ridiculous.”

Deceit sneered and sharply tugged his hand away, “That’s quite enough, Remus.”

“Dee, no, you’re always the one to tell me to ignore what the light sides say, and you’re being a massive dickhead and acting like a hypocrite!”

Deceit pulled away from Remus, “Ah yes, let’s _not_ do this right now, then, huh? You ran right into the light sides’s territory, where I can do nothing! I really _can_ afford to lose you too, you know!”

Remus flinched at Deceit’s raised voice, but his words were another issue entirely. How had Remus been so blind? Deceit wasn’t mad at him for not following a plan or consulting him first, it was because Deceit had been _afraid_ for him. After all this time since losing Virgil, Deceit was still afraid Remus would leave him too and find a place among the light sides, and his fear had translated to yelling and scolding Remus. Remus felt his heart break a little as he realized Deceit was crying, and he reached up to wipe Deceit’s tears away, heart breaking further as Deceit shied away ever so slightly, as if afraid of being touched.

“Shh,” Remus soothed Deceit softly, “It’s okay, I’m sorry. I should have checked to make sure you were okay with things before I confronted Thomas.”

Deceit let his eyes flutter shut, and he rested his forehead against Remus’s, and Remus watched as the snake appearance fell away, leaving what could easily pass for another light side, and he sighed quietly.

“I know that you want to put on a mask; that’s why you showed up as Patton then Logan, but you aren’t them, Dee. You’re you, and you’re perfect no matter what the others say, okay?” Remus reached up and wiped Deceit’s tears away, and where his fingers touched, the illusion fell away, and scales were visible again, only to be hidden once again by even, smooth skin not a moment later, “It’d be like if I tried to look like Roman.”

To make his point, he focused, and shifted his appearance so he was identical to his brother, the white streak in his hair gone, mustache disappearing, and he grabbed Deceit’s chin, tilting his head up, “Does this feel like me to you?”

Deceit opened his eyes, and he looked Remus’s face over, only to shake his head once, “No.”

Remus relaxed, form shifting to the one that came naturally, and he shut his eyes and leaned in, kissing Deceit’s scaled cheek. When he pulled away and opened his eyes, he saw that face he knew so well, the face of the one person who always had his back, and he wrapped an arm around Deceit and tugged him close, lying back down with a quiet sigh. The pair laid together in silence for a while, Remus's hand drifting up and down Deceit's back as he hummed softly.

"Do you promise not to leave?" Deceit asked softly.

Remus looked down at him with a grin, winking once, "Nah. Sorry, Dee, but you're stuck with me."

Deceit burst into laughter, and gave Remus a kiss on the cheek, "Hardly, darling."

Remus nuzzled against Deceit's cheek, then figured he might as well, and cupped Deceit's chin in one hand, tilting his head up slightly. Deceit looked confused, but as Remus leaned in, his eyes widened and he gripped Remus's arm tight enough to bruise, seemingly frozen. Remus paused just shy of Deceit's lips, and swallowed hard.

"You can say no, it won't change anything." He promised.

Deceit took in a shaking breath, licking his dry lips once before he closed the gap between him and Remus, and Remus felt his heart soar. Deceit's lips were soft, warm, and inviting, and Remus moved his hand to cup the back of Deceit's neck with a soft hum of appreciation as Deceit's lips parted some, and Remus noted with delight that Deceit tasted like cinnamon and apples. Remus pulled away a fraction to catch his breath, and giggled as Deceit leaned in and kissed the tip of his nose.

"Get some rest." Deceit said quietly, "We have all the time in the world."

Remus happily obliged, and threw an arm and a leg over Deceit, practically clinging to him, "Mm, okay, but you're my pillow."

"How _awful_." Deceit murmured.

"You might wake up to me humping you in my sleep."

"Remus, this isn't sleeping."

"I'm just warning you for your own good."

"I've slept in the same bed as you many times, and I've woken to much worse than being humped. I'll be fine."

Remus bit back a laugh as he shut his eyes, and he soon drifted off into a peaceful slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a cool day in the imagination, and despite the ever present cloud cover, things were nice. Sure, monsters fought in the sea and the mountains, but the kingdom where Remus ruled was quiet for the first time in a long time, and he was gleefully in the midst of training.

"So you're bringing him here for a date?" His opponent asked, easily dodging the swing of his morningstar with a gleeful laugh, "Why, who knew you had it in you to be such a gentleman?"

Remus grinned wickedly and swung his morningstar again, only for sparks to fly as it connected with metal instead of flesh, "We're going to hang out-that doesn't make it a date."

"Where's your flair, Remus? You kissed him, didn't you?" His opponent cursed and stumbled back as Remus swung again, but his voice didn't falter, "You can't possibly act like there are no feelings there, not anymore."

Remus jumped back enough to avoid his opponent's attempt to sweep his legs out from under him, slamming his fist into his partner's stomach with a wicked smirk at how they doubled over and wheezed, "I know I can't, and I don't want to. I just don't want to freak him out is all."

"You two have been close for years. I doubt you could freak him out if you tried."

Remus miscalculated his next swing, and his opponent turned their momentum so Remus ended up sprawled on his back on the floor, and Remus looked up to see the end of a sword aimed inches from his face, his twin brother standing above him triumphantly.

"I win." Roman taunted, sheathing his sword before offering Remus a hand, "Come on, you should go get a shower before you meet up with Deceit."

Remus gladly accepted his brother's help in standing, then he gave Roman a playful shove, "I only let you win, brother, it was out of pity."

Roman elbowed Remus in return, and they began to laugh as they walked together towards the edge of the imagination, "Are you going to introduce us? I've always wanted to meet this Deceit character."

Remus was taken aback, because Roman _knew_ Deceit, but this wasn't Roman, not really. This was the Roman he'd constructed to be his companion, to be his friend, to offer emotional support. This two dimensional copy was nothing like his actual brother, and Remus knew that, but he treasured the time he spent with this Roman.

"Perhaps that isn't the best idea." Remus considered, "Maybe another time?"

The brothers reached the end of the imagination, and Roman held his arms open for Remus, who instantly launched himself into his brother's embrace. The two men hugged for a moment, then pulled away, and Roman ruffled Remus's hair.

"Another time, then." he nodded, "Now go clean up for your date, you reek of sweat from training."

Remus bit his lip and grinned at his brother, “Alright. I’ll see you soon, Ro.”

With that, Remus stepped into his room, and with a wave of his hand, the entryway to the imagination disappeared. He made fast work of shedding his clothes and got into the shower, blasting the hot water as he happily scrubbed himself clean. After washing his hair and getting a quick shave, he turned off the water and grabbed the robe he kept by his shower, wrapping himself in it with a soft sigh of contentment. He went to his bathroom mirror and wiped the fog away, then took his beard trimming scissors and got to work cleaning up the edges of his mustache, and once fully satisfied, he placed the scissors aside and grabbed a towel from the neat stack by his sink and used it to dry his face and hair.

“ _I’d_ fuck me.” Remus smirked, tossing his reflection a wink before he turned and walked back into his room.

He shed his robe and snapped his fingers, and a clean outfit appeared, though instead of his normal royal garb, he was dressed in slacks and a deep green dress shirt. He smoothed the shirt out as he rolled the sleeves up, and after a careful moment of thought, he unbuttoned the top two buttons of the shirt to expose his pale chest.

Just as he was finding himself completely prepared, there was a knock at his door, and Remus swallowed hard and walked to the door, opening it as he stood up straight.

He hadn’t expected to see Deceit dressed so beautifully, and he certainly hadn’t expected to see the usually harsh gaze Deceit held for everyone much softer and loving. Deceit, to put it simply, was a vision. He wore a strapless black dress and a golden shawl around his shoulders, and on his feet were stunning golden stilettos. He’d applied eyeshadow to the side of his face that wasn’t scaled, boasting a golden smokey eye and blood red lipstick that drew Remus’s eyes to his full lips.

“Oh, wow.” Remus breathed.

Deceit flushed red, “Is it too much? I could change.”

Remus quickly shook his head, “No, no, definitely not. You look ravishing.” he promised, “I just. I’d have put more effort into how I look had I known you’d look so lovely.”

Deceit turned his face away some, though it didn’t hide how he smiled and bit his lip, the white of his teeth contrasting sharply against the red of his lipstick, “You’re sweet, Remus.”

Remus offered his hand as he bowed at the waist, and Deceit placed his gloved hand in Remus’s hand. Remus dipped down and pressed his lips to Deceit’s gloved knuckles, standing up straight as he offered his arm to Deceit, “Shall we?”

Deceit slid his arm so he and Remus linked arms, and he nodded once with a smile that made Remus weak at the knees, “Of course.”

Remus waved a hand so the entry to the imagination came into view, and he headed down the path that lead towards the castle. Remus ended up diverging from the path, and he looked at Deceit with a crooked grin, “There’s no path here, so I’ll have to carry you.”

“Carry me?” Deceit repeated, only to squeal as Remus scooped him up bridal style, “Remus! Don’t drop me!”

Remus kissed Deceit’s scaled cheek once, “Never, Dee.” he promised.

Deceit looked up at Remus, eyes wide as he looked Remus over, and as Remus began to walk, he buried his face against Remus’s chest. After what felt like several minutes, Remus stopped in front of a cliff where a large tree rested, and he let Deceit down, who promptly slid his heels off.

“This place _isn’t_ beautiful.” Deceit breathed in awe.

Remus conjured a picnic blanket and laid it out, then spoke up, “Why don’t you sit?”

Deceit turned and chuckled as he saw the effort Remus had made, and accepted Remus’s hand as he moved to sit down. Once Deceit was fully seated, Remus sat beside him, waving a hand to conjure another blanket for Deceit’s lap when he saw Deceit shiver. Deceit happily unfolded the blanket and moved under Remus’s arm so he was in Remus’s embrace, shutting his eyes with a soft sigh.

“This is lovely.” Deceit hummed.

Remus couldn’t help but smile, and he moved his hand to Deceit’s waist, “It’s very nice. I don’t usually spend much time here anymore, not with all the monsters to slay and training to complete.”

“Do you not sing much anymore either?” Deceit asked, “Pity, you have such a lovely voice.”

Remus felt himself grow brave, and he smiled, “Care for me to sing to you now?”

Deceit looked up at Remus with a soft chuckle, “I’m always happy to hear you sing, darling.”

Remus hummed softly, then began to sing to the man in his arms, “ _I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream. I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam_.”

Deceit’s gaze softened, and he reached up to caress Remus’s cheek as Remus continued to sing.

“ _Yet I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem, but if I know you I know what you'll do. You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream. But if I know you,I know what you'll do. You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream_.” Remus continued, shutting his eyes as he pressed into Deceit’s gloved touch.

Deceit’s voice caused Remus to open his eyes in shock, and he watched as the man he was sitting with sang the other part of the duet, “ _I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream. I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam. And I know it's true, that visions are seldom all they seem_.”

Remus joined back in so they’d finish the song together, and as their voices melded together, he knew he was absolutely done for, and that his heart belonged to Deceit, “ _But if I know you, I know what you'll do. You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream_.”

As the final note faded out, Remus and Deceit both surged forward to crash their lips together. Remus whimpered audibly, and he nearly cried in delight as Deceit’s lips parted, a silent invitation for Remus to keep going, and Remus was all too happy to shove his tongue into Deceit’s mouth. The familiar cinnamon taste was there, and Remus realized it was Deceit’s toothpaste, and he found himself wondering in the back of his mind how many times he’d get to taste the spice on Deceit’s tongue.

Deceit was the first to pull away for air, and he hid against Remus’s chest, his warm breath brushing against Remus’s exposed chest.

Remus reached up to wipe at his mouth, only to smirk as his hand came away stained red, “Love your lipstick, Dee. I think it’d look better wrapped around my di-”

Deceit smacked Remus’s chest hard as he pulled away, “You ruined it.”

“DeeDee, nooooo.” Remus whined as he wrapped his arms around Deceit and tugged him in close, “I’m sorry.”

Deceit turned his face away as Remus nosed at his neck, squealing and giggling at the sensation, “Remus!”

“Gimme kiss, Dee.” Remus ordered, “C’mon, you know you can’t resist me.”

Deceit snickered and turned his face back to Remus, dragging Remus in for a kiss, “You,” he began, kissing Remus once in between each word, “Are going to be the end of me, Remus Sanders.”

Remus moved so Deceit laid flat against the blanket he’d spread out with Remus looming over him, and dipped down to catch Deceit’s lips in a slow, loving kiss, “Mhm… Your lipstick is already smeared. May as well have fun anyways.”

“Remus, I’m not having sex with you under a tree.” Deceit scoffed.

“You must think very lowly of me.” Remus chuckled, “I just want to make out with my lovely roommate.”

“Think we can find somewhere more comfortable?” Deceit asked between kisses, “Because the ground is killing my back.”

Remus pulled Deceit up some, conjuring a pillow below him before lowering him back down. Deceit giggled as he realized what Remus had done, and he twirled Remus’s streak of white hair around his finger.

“I’m never going to be able to keep your hands off of me again, am I?” He asked.

“No, probably not.” Remus admitted, “But at the very least, I’ll keep my hands to myself around the others.”

Deceit hummed in agreement, then waved a hand to fix his lipstick and remove the smears from both his and Remus’s mouths, “Don’t ruin it again, Remus, or I’ll throw you off this cliff.”

Remus grinned at the threat, “Ooh, kinky. Think if I landed on my feet that my kneecaps would come out of my mouth?”

Deceit burst out laughing, and hell if that didn’t make Remus’s heart flutter.

“I’m going to ruin your lipstick again if you keep being so cute.” Remus threatened.

That only made Deceit laugh harder, and he snorted, clapping a hand over his mouth.

Remus kissed Deceit’s forehead, and conjured a picnic basket filled with food. The rest of that day was spent eating and sharing gentle touches, and it was the best night of Remus’s life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the lack of an update. To make it up to y'all, another chapter is coming your way right after this one!!


	3. Chapter 3

Remus woke to a faceful of brown hair, and he couldn’t help but smile as he wrapped an arm around the man in bed beside him. It had been a week since Remus and Deceit’s date, and three different times, Remus had awoken to Deceit sleeping next to him. Deceit didn’t seem to mind Remus sleeping in the nude, and so Remus continued to do so, and he chuckled in amusement as he realized Deceit was only in boxers and a tank top.

“Don’t be a pervert, I got hot.” Deceit mumbled.

“Mm… I’ll say.” Remus purred as he slid a hand under Deceit’s shirt.

“Remus Sanders.” Deceit hissed as Remus turned to better hold Deceit close, “You had better stop that.”

“I’m just excited to see you.” Remus said as innocently as he could muster, “And it’s the morning. Plenty of people wake up like this.”

Deceit glared at Remus over his shoulder, “Don’t you _dare_ get bodily fluids on me.”

Remus kissed Deceit’s scaled shoulder once, “Oh, don’t get so worked up, Dee. I’m not going to do anything you don’t want me to.”

“I’m going to hit you, Remus.”

“Just not my face. I’m too pretty for that, DeeDee.”

Deceit rolled them swiftly, straddling Remus’s hips as he leaned down with a hiss, “Just because we’re this doesn’t mean I won’t put you in your place.”

Remus looked up at Deceit with a knowing smirk, “Mm… How unfair is it that the Light Sides got to see you in a bowtie but I haven’t?”

“Remus,” Deceit said as he leaned down, “You’re a thirsty bastard.”

“Well of _course_ I am.”

“Get up and get dressed. I’m taking a little trip today, and I fear I’ll require your assistance.”

“Light Sides?”

“Unfortunately.” Deceit sighed, “Will you do me a favor and not try to kill your brother? I’m going to attempt to make a point.”

“I’ll do my best.” Remus teased, “But I can make no promises.”

Deceit ducked down, pressing his lips to Remus’s before he swiftly got out of bed, “Let's hurry. I’d like to get back before noon.”

Remus hopped up and dressed with a wave of his hand, adjusting his sash before he turned to Deceit, who was also dressed, hat in hand. Remus took Deceit’s hat, placing it atop Deceit’s head before kissing him once on the cheek.

“You look lovely, dear.” Remus cooed.

Deceit flushed pink, and turned his face away, “Just so we’re clear: we can’t be like this in front of the others.”

“Got it. No kissing, groping, or ass smacking.” Remus joked.

Deceit rolled his eyes fondly as he fixed Remus’s collar, “Yes, sweetheart.”

“Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

With that, the Dark Sides sunk out of Remus’s room and appeared in the Light Mind Space.

The sight that met them when they entered was a loving one, one that both sides had yearned for during their darkest times. Roman sat relaxed on the couch with Virgil’s head in his lap. Roman watched a movie while Virgil scrolled Tumblr on his phone, ignoring one another completely. Patton was among pillows on the floor, cat hoodie on, and he was doing a cross stitch pattern, tongue sticking out as he focused on his needlework. Even Logan was there in the domestic scene, seated with his legs crossed in the plush armchair as he read a worn and obviously well loved book.

The peace lasted for a moment more, then all hell broke loose.

Virgil caught sight of the duo, and he was instantly standing, teeth bared as he hissed. Roman conjured his sword and aimed it at Remus, who didn’t even flinch, instead smirking at his twin. Patton dropped his needlework and hid behind Roman, visibly trembling. Logan was the only one to not jump up from where he was seated.

“What are _you two_ doing here?” Virgil snarled.

Deceit rolled his eyes, “We’re here to discuss what happened last night. Contrary to popular belief, we don’t wish for harm to come to Thomas.”

Roman turned his sword on Deceit, “What do you mean? What happened last night?”

Remus conjured his morningstar and raised it to Roman’s head, “Now, dear brother, is that any way to treat guests?”

“Touch him and I’ll tear you apart.” Virgil threatened.

“You’re overreacting.” Logan said plainly as he turned a page in his book, “Everyone, sit.”

“I’d rather not.” Deceit and Virgil said in unison.

Remus drew his morningstar back, resting the metal weapon on his shoulder as he shifted his weight to one hip, “Ooh, little Virgil and Deceit are still alike after all this time.”

“Don’t.” Roman said as he lowered his sword slowly, “He doesn’t come after you or Deceit, so you two need to back off of him.”

Remus turned his head to look at Deceit, “Go on, tell them. They know I have the power to make Thomas listen for at least a short while.”

Deceit clasped his hands together, “Thomas experienced extreme emotional distress last night. I felt it, and by the time it can reach me, it isn’t a good sign.”

“He had a bad day. That isn’t a big deal.” Virgil argued.

Remus gave Virgil a look that shut him up swiftly, “Let the man finish, emo.”

Once the room fell back into silence, Deceit began to speak again, “It’s physically affecting me. Rather drastically, I’d say. If we wait until it’s too late to fix this, then it will end with all of us being harmed.”

“What do you mean it ‘physically affected’ you?” Logan asked as he stood, approaching the group, “Dark Sides can come to harm if Thomas is in a bad emotional state?”

Both Remus and Deceit shared a look, then Remus tugged the collar of his shirt down to show a scar over his chest, “Dark Sides get the worst of it since we’re what Thomas hates most about himself.”

“What’s that from?” Patton whispered from behind Roman.

Deceit looked the scar over, then heaved a sigh, “That’s from when Virgil ducked out. I have a marking in the same general area, though mine is larger, likely due to me being a bigger part of Thomas than Remus is.”

“Thomas didn’t even know you two existed when I ducked out.” Virgil objected, “You can change your appearance at will. You could just be doing this to get our guard down!”

Deceit smiled sadly, “I wish I was. Do you think I woke up one day with these scales, Virgil?”

“So what you’re saying is that extreme emotional distress on Thomas’s part causes scarring on Remus’s body, and scale growth on yours?” Logan questioned, “Fascinating.”

Deceit rolled his sleeve up and offered his arm to Logan, who carefully took it in his hands and began to examine it, “The elbow is where my newest addition manifested.”

Logan inspected the scales, and after a moment he spoke, “He isn’t lying. These scales are newer. They’re less dull, smoother, and not scuffed up from touch.”

Deceit hissed in discomfort as Logan prodded the scales, “And they’re tender.”

“It causes _pain_?” Patton asked in horror. Patton may not have liked Deceit or Remus, but he certainly didn’t wish bad for them, or want them to suffer.

Remus shrugged one shoulder, “It’s worse for Dee than it is for me. Mine usually only hurt for a few hours, but his pain lasts for days.”

“I’ll need you two to write down any instances of you experiencing these markings, as well as what happened around that time. I need to study this further to better understand what’s happening.” Logan said excitedly, “This is _fascinating_.”

Deceit’s jaw twitched, and Remus subtly brushed his free hand against Deceit’s hand that was closest to him, and that touch alone seemed to ease Deceit slightly, “We’ll get it done and bring it back to you once we’ve finished.” Deceit promised.

“You two are absolutely _not_ leaving here.” Roman said firmly, “If you two experience it again, you should be here so we know you aren’t lying.”

“... So we’re expected to stay _here_?” Remus asked in disgust, “Among… You lot?”

Virgil shared Remus’s disgust, “Them?! _Here_?! Are you insane?!”

Deceit gasped, put a hand to his chest, “ _Us_? Whatever is the matter with Remus and I?”

The look on Roman and Virgil’s faces had Remus snickering, “I think I might actually enjoy this.”

Logan conjured a notebook and began jotting notes down into it, “You two can take the couch for tonight. I’d like to examine you in your time where you aren’t being harmed.”

“... _Lovely_.” Deceit and Patton said sarcastically in unison.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, look, this chapter was only 1 day late this time xD  
> Hope y'all enjoy!!

The light mindscape was warm, the kind of warm that made Remus sleepy, and once he and Deceit had settled into a corner away from the others, he rested his head in Deceit’s lap with a soft yawn.

“Tired?” Deceit murmured quietly, ignoring how Virgil, Patton, and Roman would occasionally glance nervously at the duo.

“Extremely. This is worse than when I dissected an entire village.” Remus whined, “I’ve never been in here for so long before.”

“Sleep then, Remus. The feeling will fade eventually.”

Remus conjured a blanket and a pillow, then he took Deceit’s hand in his own, kissing his fingertips one by one. Deceit flushed pink, looking down to hide how he was affected by Remus’s loving touches.

“Remus, what did we talk about?” Deceit tutted softly.

“I can’t handle waiting so long.” Remus grumbled, “I hate this.”

Deceit used his free hand to toy with Remus’s hair, “I know. When we get back, you can do whatever you want. For now, though, we need to keep our hands to ourselves.”

“Your hand is in my hair, you slimy bitch.”

“This is weird.” Virgil said from the couch, “This is _very_ weird.”

“I never realized the Dark Sides were so… Touchy.” Roman spoke slowly.

Virgil looked over at Deceit and Remus, who were still chatting idly, and he raised a brow, “They were never like that when I was with them.”

“I mean, everyone needs cuddles once in a while. All of us cuddle together plenty, even Logan takes part.” Patton offered an explanation.

“... Pat, we’ve never done _that_.” Roman grimaced at how Remus and Deceit looked one another in the eyes lovingly while they chatted, “That’s… Disturbingly romantic.”

“... Wait, they’re together?” Virgil questioned, “That can’t be right. They used to constantly fight back in the day. They don’t even _like_ each other.”

“I think I know the perfect way to test this.” Roman said excitedly, “Virgil, Patton, stay back and let me prove a point.”

“Roman-” Patton tried, but Roman had already gotten up.

Roman approached Deceit and Remus, who both looked up, and he conjured his sword, raising it before he swung downwards. Remus jumped into action swiftly, conjuring his morningstar to block Roman’s sword, and as he did so, he flipped himself and Deceit so he was over Deceit, pinning the untruthful side to the ground with a growl. Remus’s free arm was wrapped around Deceit’s waist, and Deceit clung to Remus’s ruffled top with wide eyes.

“Roman, what the _hell_?” Remus snarled.

Roman vanished his sword with a smirk, “There. Point proven.”

“What _point_?!” Deceit demanded.

“That you two are sleeping together.”

Deceit and Remus both blushed at that, and Deceit dragged a hand down his face.

“... Oh my god, Roman. You were wrong. They’re _dating_.” Virgil gaped.

As if on cue, Thomas entered his apartment, only to pause and assess the situation before him.

“Oh, fuck it.” Deceit sighed before he dragged Remus in for a bruising kiss.

Thomas made a choking noise and looked away, “Roman, if this is a prank, it isn’t funny.”

“Oh, honey, even _I_ couldn’t imagine something this fucked up.” Roman promised as he stood beside Thomas, “This right here is straight up disturbing.”

“Straight?” Patton asked, “Uh. No, not really.”

Deceit pulled away from kissing Remus, pressing one final kiss to the tip of his nose, “If you don’t like seeing it, then go away.”

Remus giggled as he nuzzled against Deceit’s scaled cheek, “You heard the man. You’d better get used to this, prudes.”

“Not on my carpet!” Thomas whined.

Logan rose up into the room, flipping pages in his notebook, “So how are things going with-” He looked up, saw the scene before him, then raised a brow, “Why does everyone seem so shocked?”

“Because two of my sides were making out on my living room floor.” Thomas sighed.

“Is that particularly distressing?”

“It was a surprise.” Patton laughed nervously, “And not a pleasant one.”

“How was it a surprise? It’s rather obvious.” Logan chuckled in amusement.

“... How was it obvious?” Deceit demanded.

“You two have been sharing lingering stares the entire time you’ve been here. Deceit normally favors his left leg, but with Remus on his right side, he leans closer to Remus. That and you two look at one another in a… Romantic manner.” Logan finished with a cringe.

“What are they doing in here?!” Thomas asked, “You’re all acting like this is normal!”

“Dark Mindscape was being redecorated.” Deceit lied.

“We’re keeping watch over them.” Virgil answered, “Nothing you need to worry about.”

“... I’m avoiding here. For like. Forever. I never want to see what I saw ever again.” Thomas swallowed in disgust before he left the room without a second glance at any of his sides.

Deceit choked on a whimper and doubled over in Remus’s grip, and Remus was quick to soothe his lover, “Dee, is it happening again?”

Deceit clamped his jaw shut, nodding as tears began to fall, “Y-Yes.”

Logan knelt beside Deceit and Remus, “Where is it?”

“My back.”

Remus eased Deceit from his shirt as carefully as he could manage, and he swallowed hard at what he and the others all saw. Deceit’s lower left side of his back was red, and the human skin there peeled like a bad sunburn, though it was quickly, and Logan silently jotted notes down in his spiral notebook. Remus kissed away Deceit’s tears, grunting in discomfort as his own back began to sting.

“You too?” Roman asked his twin.

“Not that bad.” Remus promised, “Dee is worse off.”

Deceit whimpered as his grip on Remus’s shoulders tightened, “Use your morningstar on me, Remus.”

Remus whined audibly, “But-”

“It won’t do permanent damage, and it will render me unconscious during the worst of this.” Deceit pleaded.

“I-I _can’t_.” Remus choked out as he began to cry, “I can’t hurt you like that.”

“I’m going to touch you, Deceit. Remain calm.” Logan ordered, reaching down to touch near the peeling skin.

Deceit choked on a sob and buried his face against Remus’s shoulder as he screamed from the pain of such a small touch.

“You’re hurting him!” Remus growled.

“I need to get better data. Just soothe him as well as you can manage.” Logan said as he flaked away the peeled skin, exposing new scales.

“Logan, can’t we do anything to stop him from hurting?” Patton asked, tears shining in his eyes, “He’s miserable.”

“Even if we could, doing so would skew the data.” Logan explained, “I need to see this at least once.”

Remus kissed the side of Deceit’s head and cooed soft assurances, “You’re okay, my love. It’s almost done.”

Deceit trembled in Remus’s arms, and when the most intense part of the stinging and burning ended, he kissed Remus on the cheek, sweat dampened hair clinging to his face, “You’re a sap.” he croaked.

Remus sniffled softly as he grinned, “You’re the one kissing me.”

Deceit slumped against Remus with a quiet sigh, “Get what you needed?” he asked Logan.

“Indeed.” Logan murmured, “You need to apply a cold washcloth to the new scales. It will sting at first, but given some time, it should help with your pain levels.”  
“I’ll get it.” Patton said as he jumped up and dashed to the bathroom.

“... He could have conjured it.” Roman said to Virgil, then paused as he saw the expression on Virgil’s face, “Virgil?”

Virgil backed away a step, hands shaking as he watched Deceit and Remus, “I-I can’t be here.”

Deceit swallowed hard, offering his hand to Virgil, “Come here.”

Virgil looked close to sinking out, that was, until Deceit spoke again.

“Virgil. _Come here_.”

Virgil was hesitant, but he took Deceit’s hand and sat with the two Dark Sides on the floor. Deceit raised his free hand to Virgil’s hair and lovingly ran his fingers through the purple dyed locks. Remus reached up, placing a hand on Virgil’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. Virgil shut his eyes, then let out a slow breath, and slowly relaxed into the embrace.

“You’re okay, dear.” Deceit promised, “We’re all here.”

Virgil nodded once, “Okay.”

That day may have been horrible, but for the first time since Virgil had left them, Remus and Deceit were completely at ease.


	5. Chapter 5

Deceit woke to the smell of food, and he sat up groggily, realizing he’d been changed into a tank top and sweatpants, and that Remus laid with an arm thrown over him, dressed similarly. In his sleep, Remus could almost pass for innocent, but Deceit knew better than that, and he kissed Remus tenderly. Remus stirred, peeking at Deceit through his lashes, then grinned sleepily.

“Good morning, darling.” Deceit spoke softly.

“I think this is my new favorite way to wake up.” Remus cooed, cupping Deceit’s cheek in one hand.

“... Gross, I’m eating.” Roman piped up from the couch.

Deceit flushed red and sat up swiftly, only to hiss in discomfort as the new scales that had manifested the night before brushed against his shirt. Remus was fast to steady Deceit, then he sat up, looking around the room. Roman sat with a plate of breakfast in his lap, and instead of his regular royal garb, he had on pajamas that consisted of flannel pajama bottoms and a plain white shirt. The other sides weren’t in the living room, but the voices in the kitchen led Remus to believe the others were in the kitchen.

That belief was confirmed as Patton came out of the kitchen with a plate of breakfast in each hand, dressed down in shorts and a shirt with a cartoon dog on it, “Oh, you two are up! Good, breakfast is ready.”

Patton handed plates to the two Dark Sides, who shared a look.

“We don’t eat.” Remus said after a moment, “While the notion is sweet-”

“You need to eat. Especially you, Deceit.” Logan said as he walked out into the living room with two plates, handing one to Patton, “You need the caloric intake to help your body heal.”

Deceit looked at Remus, who shrugged one shoulder, “Least we didn’t have to cook.”

Virgil stepped into the living room, a large mug of coffee in hand, a slice of toast in his mouth. He didn’t look at Remus or Deceit, simply sat on the couch, taking the toast from his mouth, “Just eat it already. It’s going to get cold and Remus is going to start a food fight.”

Remus practically lit up, “Ooh, good idea!”

“ _No_!” Logan, Patton, Virgil, Deceit, and Roman all said in unison.

Remus scoffed and stabbed at the scrambled eggs on his plate, eating some of the eggs with a grumble of, “No fun.”

Deceit snickered softly, shaking his head fondly as he ate.

Once everyone had finished eating, Patton and Virgil gathered up everyone’s dishes and went to the kitchen to wash them, and Deceit headed to the bathroom with Logan to take a look at his new scales and bandage them. That left the twins alone together, and both men ignored each other as they waited for the other sides to join them.

That was, until Roman spoke, “So. Why did you two…”

Remus looked up from where he was tugging on a loose thread of the blanket in his lap, “Who?”

“You and Deceit.”

Remus’s cheeks burned, and he looked back down, “Oh. Well, we just. Got close after Virgil left. Then after I came around and introduced myself to Thomas, Deceit got upset. He’s important to me, and after a while, I just realized it’s what I want.”

“So it isn’t just to erm. Ya know.”

Remus smirked at his brother, wiggling his eyebrows, “Oh, but that’s part of the fun, dear brother.”

“You know what I mean, you pervert.” the prince huffed, “Is this out of love?”

Remus hadn’t expected that question, and he blinked several times, “Of course it is. I didn’t go after him in an attempt to fix loneliness, I did it because I want him to be my forever.”

“How sweet, Remus.” Deceit teased from the doorway where he stood with Logan, “Here I thought you didn’t have it in you to be poetic.”

Remus threw a pillow at his lover, “Just because I’m in love with you doesn’t mean I won’t beat you up!”

Deceit caught the pillow and approached Remus, sinking onto the floor beside him, “Oh, don’t be cross with me. I’m only teasing.”

Remus wrapped an arm around Deceit’s shoulders, kissing the side of his head once, “You’re a bastard.”

Logan made a soft noise of disgust, “As… Charming as this is, I have other things to attend to. You all know how to reach me if I’m needed.”

Logan sunk out, and Virgil and Patton walked into the room.

“How’s your back, Deceit?” Patton asked as he sat on the couch, “Any better?”

Deceit yawned softly, “Better. Still burning, though Logan bandaged it.”

Virgil flopped onto the couch about as gracefully as a newborn deer, head landing in Roman’s lap, “So what’s on the agenda for today?”

“Hell if I know. The nerd is busy with his latest experiment.” Roman chuckled, hand falling to Virgil’s hair, “So unless Thomas wants to round us up for a video, it’s a lazy day.”

“Hm, I was supposed to visit the Imagination today.” Remus mused, “I scheduled a day with R-” Remus paused, then gave a wry grin, “Well, I suppose the monsters can wait.”

“You can go, Remus. I’ll be fine.” Deceit promised.

“Don’t make me beat you with my morningstar, Dee. I’m not leaving.”

Deceit snickered as he rested against Remus, eyes fluttering shut, “Hush, you.”

“We need a way for them to have some privacy.” Virgil said after a moment, “Cause this is nauseating.”

Roman waved a hand, and a curtain appeared around Deceit and Remus, who both jumped in surprise.

“There you are.” Roman sang, “Now we can get a break and they can be nasty.”

“Roman.” Patton scolded the prince, “We all agreed to be nice.”

Remus practically tackled Deceit into a hug, minding his back of course, and held him close so they could cuddle, “Yayyyyyyy. I now get to be _nasty_.”

“Remus.” Deceit stammered, face going red, “Curtains aren’t soundproof.”

“This one is now.” Remus winked, “Come on, just cuddle with me. We haven’t had a proper cuddle session in days.”

“They went silent. That’s a bad sign. That’s definitely a bad sign.” Virgil said from outside the curtain.

“... Look, let them be weird and lovey and all that ridiculous stuff. It’s better that we don’t see it, it’s like seeing two of the worst people you know getting it on.” Roman spoke softly.

Remus winced, and Deceit’s eyes widened in horror as he saw a new scar show up on Remus’s arm.

“Remus, your arm.” he whispered.

Remus looked down and swallowed hard at the sight of his new blemish, then he looked at Deceit, “But Thomas isn’t in a state. He’s completely fine.”

Deceit’s expression shifted to fear, and he dragged a hand down his face, “It isn’t Thomas. It’s us, Remus. When we’re hurting emotionally, it manifests on our bodies. Yesterday it happened after Thomas showed his disgust, especially at seeing us together, and now it’s happening to you because of your brother’s words. It’s always been about us being hurt.”

Remus looked away as tears began to fall down his face, “Dee. If they found out, they’ll be able to torture us. It’s only a matter of time before they figure it out, what with Logan looking it over. They’ll know and use it as a weapon.”

Deceit pressed his face to Remus’s chest, and they truly were silent after that.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated!!


End file.
